Gems 3.77

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

To Althea from Prison Richard Lovelace Gems 377

Photo “Stonewashed Sunset” by Niki Flow

Journey Notes

The suggested theme for July is “freedom,” but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know. We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions too! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details. When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.76

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Photo edited using PicsArt #freetoedit – Photographer unknown

“Some birds are not meant to be caged, that’s all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs are too sweet and wild. So you let them go, or when you open the cage to feed them they fly out past you. And the part of you that knows it was wrong to imprison them in the first place rejoices, but still, the place where you live is that much more drab and empty for their departure.” Stephen King, Rita Hayworth in the Shawshank Redemption

Journey Notes

Special thanks to JP for today’s quote. The suggested theme for July is “freedom,” but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know. We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.75

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Photo by Cord X., San Antonio, Texas

About the Photographer

We’re really grateful for a new creative connection today. Today’s beautiful photo is by Cord X. Cord, “originally from Wisconsin, sometimes poet,” is a homeless creative living in San Antonio, Texas. This is his first photography submission but we sincerely hope it will not be his last.

Journey Notes

Special thanks to Cord X. for today’s photo and to “cyctw” for today’s quote. The suggested theme for July is “freedom,” but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know. We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.74

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Photos by Niki Flow. Edited using PicMonkey “Long Pin” template. Still learning! =)

I HAVE ENOUGH

I have enough sunshine, but I love the rain.
I have enough comfort, made sweeter by pain.
I have enough love, but I have room for more.
I have enough safety, and freedom from war.

I have enough room in my heart for more friends.
I have enough faith that our love never ends.
I have enough starlight and lovely blue skies.
I have enough wisdom to know I’m not wise.

I live in abundance,
but there is one thing, I find,
That is precious, and fleeting,
and running out: Time.

Niki Flow

Journey Notes

The suggested theme for July is “freedom,” but if you have a favorite quote about any other uplifting subject, please let us know. We’re always accepting favorite quotes.

Your Creativity

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.73

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Photo by WallpaperSafari.com

Journey Notes

Special thanks to WavingatYou for today’s quote. The theme for July is “freedom.” If you have a favorite quote about freedom, or any other uplifting subject, please let us know.

Your Creativity

As always, we would love to feature your creative visions! If you would like to contribute photos, art work, short poems/stories, quotes, time, etc., please see our “About Us” page for details. When we show each other what we find beautiful, we get a glimpse into each others’ hearts.

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

A “Giftivism” Initiative
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.72

Posted on July 11, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Life Freedom Choice Kevyn Aucoin Gems 372

Journey Notes

The theme for July is “freedom.” If you have a favorite quote about freedom, please let us know.

Your Creativity

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.70

Posted on July 7, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

John YCP2

You Can’t Protect It
When you live out of bags,
It’s tough to keep things straight.
Especially because, typically, they are
All sorts of Opaque.
Where’s this? Where’s that?
I thought it was in this one.
Dammit, what a bitch this.
Rummaging is no fun.
Oh well, I’ll tear everything completely apart
And stack all my bags like a fine work of Art.
Without my phone and charger, I’ll be hosed.
No work for me today, I suppose.
Searched every zip compartment in my artful stack.
Only to discover, once again, my phone got jacked!

-John Olander

John Olander, known to his friends as “Johnny O” is a self-employed change-maker currently living in Denver Colorado. He has been “on a camping trip” for over ten years and understands life on the streets better than most. Yet this hardship has not made John bitter, only better. Nearly every day when he is not engaged in a search for food or shelter (from 4am until nearly midnight), John is helping others on the street. About one-third of John’s day is spent on transportation — on buses, subways, and walking to find jobs, food and shelter for a single day. Yet through all this, John has taken the time to be supportive and submit poetry for under1000skies. I’m so grateful for our connection. Johnny O and I became friends about a year ago when he became one of the first supporters of under1000skies. He is very dear to us all here, and we look forward to more creative content from Johnny in the years to come.

May you find joy every day,

☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.69

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

Photos “Dragon Creek” and “Partly Blue Skies” by Niki Flow

About A. Philip Randolph

Asa Philip Randolph (April 15, 1889 – May 16, 1979) was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement, the American labor movement, and socialist political parties.

He organized and led the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, the first predominantly African-American labor union. In the early Civil Rights Movement and the Labor Movement, Randolph was a voice that would not be silenced. His continuous agitation with the support of fellow labor rights activists against unfair labor practices in relation to people of color eventually led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to issue Executive Order 8802 in 1941, banning discrimination in the defense industries during World War II. The group then successfully pressured President Harry S. Truman to issue Executive Order 9981 in 1948, ending segregation in the armed services.

In 1963, Randolph was the head of the March on Washington, which was organized by Bayard Rustin, at which Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his “I Have A Dream” speech. Randolph inspired the “Freedom Budget”, sometimes called the “Randolph Freedom budget”, which aimed to deal with the economic problems facing the black community, it was published by the Randolph Institute in January 1967 as “A Freedom Budget for All Americans”.

from Wikipedia, “A Philip Randolph”

Journey Notes

The theme for July is “freedom.” Special thanks to Rajni for today’s quote. If you have a favorite quote about freedom, please let us know.

Your Creativity

May you find joy every day of your journey through life,

☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.68

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤

John Talk to Me 2 Corrected

May you find joy every day,

☼ A “Giftivism” Initiative ☼
We are photographers,
writers, artists & advocates
serving and connecting
homeless creatives.

Gems 3.67

Posted on July 4, 2017 by Niki Flow

I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
♡ Happy Birthday America. ♡

honest wise men under1000skies 4july

Artist/Photographer Unknown. Graphic art by Niki Flow.

“I pray Heaven to Bestow The Best of Blessing on THIS HOUSE and on ALL that shall hereafter Inhabit it. May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof!” -John Adams in a letter to his wife, Abigail Adams, November 2, 1800.